Are breadmakers worth it?

[Tocktik]

I’ve tried a good few times to make different loaves in my oven but they never come out right, either too dense or doughy or burnt.
I really want to be able to make sourdough loaves for the family or gluten free loaves for intolerant DD.
if you’ve bought a breadmaker would you
recomment it and if so which brand/model please?

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We're also trying to reduce UPF, so I bought a morphy richards fastbake one just before christmas but don't really rate it at all - I've only made 6 loaves so far (2 from scratch and 4 from the bread mixes you can buy in the supermarket) and only one has been edible!

I followed the directions exactly and even measured the temp of the water to make sure it was spot on. Fussy DD doesn't like the texture because it's not like the crappy Hovis we usually have so won't eat it, and DH can't be bothered to slice it so it just sits on the counter going stale.

I can't use the delayed start timer with the bread mixes because the yeast starts reacting as soon as you add the water, so I never seem to get the timing right either. I'm going to try making some pizza dough with it this weekend as DD is a pizza monster.

My MIL has a panasonic and swears by it...

@MindatWork my Panasonic has a separate dispenser for yeast.

It will be the recipe. I have a Panasonic and use it 2-3 times a week, sometimes more. It makes fantastic bread - the only time it falls apart is if I try to cut it while it’s still hot.

I often use the short 1h 55min programme for a medium loaf, even for wholemeal and it’s fine. Recipe is
1 rounded tsp fast acting yeast.
400g flour (any combination)
1tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
285mL tepid water

If I’m adding seeds, I add a little bit more yeast. If I’m doing just white I use a level tsp yeast otherwise the loaf is very big. I prefer a denser bread though, so you might like it with more yeast.

Occasionally the loaf is a bit lopsided and has horns and/or a T Rex face (allegedly) at one end but it still tastes great.

@FlyingUnicornWings thank you, I did get recommended one of those on here but was a little put off due to the size and the fact I probably wouldn't use for anything else, but the survival of my marriage might be dependent on it...DH hates slicing the bread!

Panasonic. I got one durring lock lockdown due to not being able to buy soya free bread (allergy) and with a wallking baby (9 months old) and home school I had no time to make bread. Takes about 3 mins to pop
everything in. Beware of the delayed timer setting and waking up to delicious bread smells, this caused me to gain weight.

I love mine and use it for sourdough but I usually remove the dough and bake it in a round basket for aesthetics but it comes out fine in the tin in the bread maker and is more predictable than an oven (I bake in my ninja which has the same reliability level)

Be careful of those bread mixes some of those have some nasty ingredients in too.

I still use them as they taste great and are easy

@SnakesAndArrows
Thank you for this! I will mention to her that I have been recommended a new recipe and see if she might use it!

(We get on really well but I can't bring myself to be mean to her about it as she thinks the bread is brilliant 🤪)!

@apotdw honestly it’s worth it. You can adjust the thickness of the slices too so no more doorstop bread. I got it because I can’t slice bread to save my life.

Have you thought about using an electric knife a carving knife? It's so good makes such a few crumbs and a really clean slice.

I've found one that is ok and I'm sticking with it!

Haha, yes!

Warm, fresh bread with butter....mmmm

The trick to slicing bread is to saw backwards and forwards and not press down. I can get slices a few mm thick unless the bread is still warm, and then, see my post above - the slices have to be about an inch thick.

I bought one in Jan to reduce the UPFs and had been debating one for a while. I went for the more expensive Panasonic one recommended by a colleague and it’s brilliant!

I just found I couldn’t get the times right to make it without the machine, too busy with work and life but the machine helps! It’s also good for getting the dough ready and prooved (something I couldn’t get time to do).

we love it- just haven’t worked out how best to store the bread yet! Welcome on any tips to keep it fresh!

Get a secondhand one on facebook marketplace! They're always on there for £0 to £20. I got my Panasonic on there for £5. Then if you don't get on with it you can sell it on/give it away.

We have a Panasonic bought years ago now.

Why do the loaves have to be a stupid shape?

@tobee I do wish you could get them so they made a longer loaf, a tall loaf is no use to anybody!

Thanks all, I will have a look out for some secondhand on FB marketplace, any particular models that might be better? Or just any Panasonic in general?

A couple of times I woke up to the smell of very hot flour, having forgotten to put the water in the night before.

I use a stand mixer instead and then just use the oven.

We use ours 3-4 times a week. We never really buy bread. We live in a rural location and there aren't any decent bakeries close by and I don't but the UPF shit from the supermarkets. I have never tried to make sourdough but you get some good flour blends which make great loaves.

a longer loaf would require different buckets and also would mean the machine would need to be big enough to fit the longest bucket inside (meaning that there was a lot of wasted space if people weren't using the long bucket). Both these things would make it more expensive and less practical in terms of taking up space in your kitchen.

I agree though, the tall loaves are shit. We only ever make the smallest loaf but we do make them almost daily if we are all home.

We bought an expensive bread knife, made by Zwilling, and it's a game changer in bread slicing.

Astonishingly it cost about the same as that electric one 😮but it does take up a lot less space.

For the tall loaf, I cut the loaf in half in the middle vertically and then turn each half on its side to slice and you have half slices ready cut.

Do you people just use the booklet to make stuff or are there other resources? i've only ever used one of the mixes to make bread